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One Injured When Log Truck And ECUA Trash Truck Collide on Highway 97
May 6, 2025
An Emerald Coast Utilities Authority employee was injured in a crash involving a trash truck and an empty tractor-trailer log truck Tuesday morning in Walnut Hill.
The crash happened around 7:45 a.m. on Highway 97 at Howell Road.
The ECUA truck was stopped in the northbound lane of Highway 97 when he turned left onto Howell Road when the log truck driver, a 32-year-old male from Brewton, attempted to pass in a clearly marked passing zone.
The front right corner of the semi collided with the left front of the ECUA truck, ripping away the left side and front of the trash truck. The 35-year-old male passenger in the ECUA truck was ejected, essentially fell out of the truck, according to witnesses. He was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS with not life-threatening injuries.
The 35-year old male driver of the ECUA truck and the driver of the log truck were not injured. The log truck came to a stop on Highway 97 north of intersection.
The Florida Highway Patrol cited the ECUA driver with failure to yield while turning left while lawfully being passed on the left.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash, which closed the southbound lane of Highway 97 for about an hour.
ECUA confirmed the truck was hauling yard debris. None of the cargo spilled.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
14 Responses to “One Injured When Log Truck And ECUA Trash Truck Collide on Highway 97”
I AGREE 100% @JJ, this is a STUPID LAW! So BLESSED to still have my Farmer here with us!
Suppose you are on a highway with more than one lane in your travel direction and there is a broken white line, should turning on a turn signal give you theright away to change lanes without looking? No. The same situation exists here in that the driver must look before entering a lane lawfully occupied by another driver. Now driving courtesy would say that if someone is turning left into a drive way you let them rurn and not pass, but if there are people between you and the car turning so that you can’t see the turn signal the person turning needs to make sure that they are. Ot being passed. I seem to remember a rule that required drivers behind a turning vehivle also turn on their signal (or use their arm) but its asking a lot nowadays for peoplee to properly signal their intentions anytime.
Just because you don’t think to look before turning left doesn’t mean the law is dumb.
Why would you expect to enter a legal lane of travel without looking first and NOT be responsible if you cause an accident? The use or non-use of a left blinker is the only variable and nearly impossible to prove after the fact. So it only makes sense to put the responsibility on the individual that is crossing the lane of travel…to do so safely.
This is at my kids bus stop. I have argued with them for years about it being too dangerous. Thank god my kid was driven today or he could have been killed. When will the transportation department take our kids safety seriously?
It really shouldn’t be a passing zone given the side streets. This has caused many scares with head on collisions
I have to agree with everyone else. Dumbest law in existence.
This same situation happened on 97 and Gibson Rd. The person that has the best view can pass a truck with a blinker on and not be at fault is ridiculous. You can no longer turn left in a passing zone without being at risk of being hit by a reckless moron passing a vehicle they know is turning. This law needs to be changed!
This is crazy that a driver making the turn can be cited for turning into a passing vehicle.
This has to be one of the most stupid traffic laws on the books. Thr log truck driver should have been cited IF the ecua driver had his turn signal on. Unfortunately, the driver will probably be fired because a log truck driver couldn’t wait 2 more seconds.
Dumbest law in existence.
Lucky fellow right there.
Hopefully will be okay.
He’s right, you know. When will the madness end?
JJ remembers!!!!! This law is extremely dangerous and here is yet another shining example of what happens with a lack of oversight in writing state legalese. The laws that prop up ” go fast, screw everyone else” mentality need to go. There’s already enough drunks, phone zombies, and geriatrics out there!
Yeah let’s go ahead and 4 lane 97.. less accidents my hind end…
Driver behind you have right away to pass you if you are making a left turn. Unless double yellow lines are presence. Crazy law. School bus struck a farm tractor turning left and the blame went to the farmer. What a STUPID LAW!